We treat foot and ankle pain through a variety of effective treatment and surgery options.
Our foot and ankle orthopaedic consultants are able to request a range of diagnostic techniques to complement their expert clinical assessment, to ensure the right choices are made at every stage of your treatment and recovery process. Our diagnostic imaging department is supported by our radiology consultants who provide additional expertise where more specialist diagnostics are needed or when more detailed radiology reporting is required.
Our holistic approach to foot and ankle surgery means that our patients are fully supported both pre- and post-operation by our musculoskeletal physiotherapy department. The close working relationship between our surgeons and physiotherapists, as well as the detailed protocols our orthopaedic department have developed for foot and ankle operations, ensures that a rapid return to activities of daily living and sports can be achieved.
In broad terms, this area can be split in to the hindfoot, the midfoot and the forefoot. Foot and ankle surgical treatment will be dependent on the anatomical area affected and the exact nature of each condition.
Due to a combination of genetic factors, including the shape of the foot, previous trauma and which repetitive tasks the foot and ankle have been exposed to, some of the joints can develop painful, degenerative changes (osteoarthritis). In severe cases, this may be treated with a joint replacement or fusions which can be offered for ankle joint of big toe joint osteoarthritis. Due to the limited amount of normal movement available, midfoot joint fusions can be offered if these joints are affected.
To provide stability and adequate propulsion during walking, running and other sports-related activities, the foot and ankle rely on a number of muscles and tendons. Due to the load placed upon these structures, a number of surgical treatments have been developed to remove damaged and painful tendon tissue or to repair or reconstruct torn or ruptured tendon tissue.
A significant ankle sprain (or multiple ankle sprains) can result in significant damage to the ligaments of the ankle. In some cases this can result in ankle instability, when the ankle feels progressively weak and continues to suffer injuries. In these cases, an ankle ligament repair may be considered to provide stability.
You can choose to fund your treatment through self-pay (paying for yourself) or use private health insurance. We work with most major providers, and our friendly advisory team can help guide you through using your cover.
Our flexible payment options help you spread the cost of your payment across a time period that suits you. We offer fixed-term monthly payment plans over one to five years with no deposit required. If you decide to pay over 10 months, you will pay interest-free. If you are paying for a longer period, you will pay 9.9% APR.
An in-depth history will be taken by one of our experienced foot and ankle consultants. This will enable them to formulate a list of possible diagnoses to be tested during a physical examination. The mechanism behind any trauma suffered, any contributory repetitive tasks that may cause your pain as well as any previous injuries will be noted.
Some knee conditions may have associated symptoms such as swelling, weakness, giving way or instability. These symptoms can often be helpful in formulating a possible diagnosis.
A thorough physical examination will be conducted of the lower limbs. Specialist assessment techniques may include:
Several forms of imaging exist to confirm diagnoses around the foot and ankle. Depending on the exact presentation, our consultants may request more than one imaging modality before offering treatment. Diagnostic tests may include:
You will always be given the space and time to talk about how your symptoms have affected you. In addition, your individual goals, whether sporting or non-sporting, will also be thoroughly discussed in order to determine the best possible management plan for you.
As well as offering the best possible surgical outcomes, our foot and ankle unit is able to offer image-guided injections in cases of osteoarthritis or in cases of tendon sheath inflammation.
The most common foot surgery is bunion surgery, or hallux valgus surgery, which is an operation that realigns your big toe and removes a bunion from the inside of your foot around your big toe joint.
It often involves your consultant orthopaedic surgeon removing your bunion by shaving it down, before cutting the bones around your big toe joint, allowing the bone to be moved into a straighter alignment of the toe, before being fixed in position.
Although not guaranteed, it is relatively common for foot surgery to affect your nerves, and you might have some symptoms like tingling or numbness afterwards. It usually takes 3-6 months for nerves to heal. Most of your symptoms are likely to subside in the first six weeks, and for some people full recovery can take up to a year.
Most people will need to keep their foot elevated as much as possible for the first 2 weeks after foot surgery, and you may be advised to carry on with this for up to 6 months.
However, this will all depend on what type of surgery you have, how your recovery goes, and other factors personal to you. Ask your surgeon, who will give you advice specific to you.
How soon you can walk after foot surgery depends on what type of surgery you had as well as your personal health and fitness levels. You’ll probably be advised not to walk on your operated foot for 2-6 weeks, then gradually move back to full weight-bearing on your foot over time. Ask your surgeon, who will give you advice specific to you.
Expert support and guidance throughout your rehabilitation
Following any foot and ankle surgical procedure, our specialist orthopaedic physiotherapists will run through the relevant post-operative rehabilitation guidelines with our patients.
With many foot and ankle operations, there may be a period of time with limited weight-bearing in which wearing a walking boot or an orthopaedic shoe may also be necessary. This can be an uncomfortable experience, but at Circle we use a range of orthopaedic products to minimize these problems and also offer regular follow-up appointments with our orthopaedic team to ensure progression is made at a suitable rate.
Active rehabilitation also plays a major role following the majority of foot and ankle surgical procedures. To get the very best outcomes for our patients, Circle ensures a close working relationship between our foot and ankle orthopaedic consultants and our musculoskeletal physiotherapists.
All our clinicians follow our comprehensive post-surgical protocols in order to optimise the use of a range of technologically-innovative rehabilitation equipment we have invested in. Our rehabilitation equipment includes continuous passive motion machines, anti-gravity treadmills, gait analysis technology and the latest range of cardiovascular and resistance gym machines available.
All these Circle Health clinical values ensure our patients are able to return to their goals of activities of daily living and sports faster and stronger.
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Consultations 16yrs+ Procedures 18yrs+
